THE family of a mother of four, who was among 20 people killed in a massacre at a cockfight in Mexico, is seeking answers as they try to bring their surviving sister home.

Melissa Silva, 36, and her teenage sister Arleth Silva, 16, were vacationing in Michoacan, Mexico and attended the gathering when the shooting happened.

Arleth, a student at Wheaton Warrenville South High School was critically injured in the shooting.

“They were there on vacation to celebrate the holidays,” said Alex Silva, the victims’ brother. “They were there for a couple of months.”

The sisters are the oldest and youngest of a family of nine children. They grew up in the suburbs of Illinois and had been visiting Mexico with their parents, who were thinking about moving back there.

Their mother was nearby when the incident occurred and heard the gunshots.

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US mom dead & teen sister hurt after 20 killed in massacre while on vacation

“They were just ambushed. Everyone was shot. Everyone that was there,” said Alex. “Once she showed up, she saw my sisters laying down."

Alex added: “My older sister was already dead. She was pale in the face. She was there lying on the ground and the other little girl was a meter away from her, also lying on her but still breathing."

Seventeen men and three women were killed in the tragedy in the Las Tranjas region.

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The incident took place on Sunday, March 27 just after 10:30pm.

According to a prosecutors’ statement, a food truck had arrived at the event and several armed people dressed in camouflage got out of the vehicle. 

“At the same moment, a bus that was outside the building was used as a blockade,” in an apparent attempt to stop victims from escaping or calling for help, it said.

During a preliminary investigation, authorities found 15 vehicles that may have belonged to the victims. One of them had stickers with the logo of a gang.

Drug cartels and other criminal gangs had been reportedly fighting in the area, said prosecutors.

“There are indications that the attack involved a confrontation between criminal groups, said the federal Public Safety Department in a statement. 

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico’s president, promised that a full investigation of the incident would take place. 

According to Melissa’s family, the mother lived in California with her children. Her sister, Yalitza Silva, told ABC7 that the family is “devastated.”

"I did not imagine that it was going to be one of my sisters. Melissa could not, I mean, she was very strong," she said.

BRING SISTER HOME

A GoFundMe was created to cover Melissa’s funeral costs and Arleth’s hospital expenses. According to the fundraiser, the teen was shot three time, once in the lungs and twice in the leg. She is currently in the ICU.

The mother leaves behind four children, three of which are under the age of 18, said Yalitza.

The family hopes to move Arleth to a hospital in the US so she can receive better care. The teen may have to have multiple screws placed in her spine.

For now, a lot of the family is in Mexico, trying to cope with what happened.

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“It’s pretty difficult. Just dealing with the funeral and everything – having my sister in the hospital,” said Alex.

Cock fighting is illegal in many areas, however, it is a popular pastime in parts of Mexico. Despite this, they are usually held in secret.

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